Receptacle and closure means therefor



Aug. 29, 1950 F. N. MERRALLS RECEPTACLE AND CLOSUREYMEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 5, 1946 FIE-.5

5 L R M NR N 5 mm W H mM K N R N 0 Z T M M m m W A 4. BER m 1 m ax 6 & 70 1 2N1? H 3 Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE AND CLOSURE S THEREFOR Franz N. Merralls, Inglewood, -Calif., assignor to Rubbercraft Corporation of California, Ltd., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 5, 1946, Serial No. 645,515

, 1 Claim. 1 l 1 This invention relates generally to receptacle and closure means therefor, having particular application to tobacco pouches but adapted for utility in various types of containers by which an almost air-tight flexible seal between the opposed edges of the opening in such devices, or between any two members equipped with the elements thereof, may be effected.

Flexible containers composed of fabric, rubber, or various plasticequivalents are usually provided with metallic locking means such as slide fasteners or clasps, the latter requiring the inclusion of metal bars which line the mouth 01 the opening. Where flexibility is a feature of construction of such receptacles, the presence of the metallic locking elements, contributing a measure of rigidity to the assembly, is more or less objectionable. It is, accordingly, desirable for many applications to provide a sealing device which preserves to a maximum degree the flexibility of the assembly.

In some receptacles the security of the seal in withstanding extraordinary usage is of lesser importance than its efiectiveness against the admission under normal conditions of ai or liquid. For example, the proper storage of tobacco depends upon the preservation of humid atmospheric conditions. On the other hand, various sensitive instruments must be sealed against moisture when not in use in order to maintain their efiicacy. The metallic structures of the prior art intended for analogous purposes cannot without exorbitant cost be adapted to efiect a seal which will meet these requirements.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a composite closure strip operable to extendthe limited utility and obviate the abovementioned and other disadvantages of prior art structures, comprising a pair of elongated flexible and compressible elements adapted to engage one another throughout their length and form a tight seal incident to their expansion upon such engagement.

More specifically an object is the provision of complementary strips embodying, respectively, a mortise, and a tenon contractible to permit its engagement in the mortise in response to lateral pressure thereagainst, any reach of the strip assembly being easily separable by the application of tension exerted upon either of the elements.

Another object is to provide a flexible bag or container having an elongated opening therein with the edges of the opening secured to the respective sealing strips, the later being held in engagement with one another at each end of the opening by the sides of the bag and the intermediate portions being engageable to form a substantially air-tight seal to thereby preserve prevailing conditions of humidity or dryness within the container,

Numerous other objects and advantages of my invention important in specific applications thereof, such for example as. simplicity of con-'- struction, economy of manufacture, ease of operation, and efficacy of the seal, as well as neatness of appearance and conservation of the space required therefor in any container unit so equipped,

will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon an examination of the following description read in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig; 1 is. a top edge view of a pouch or bag embodying my invention and illustrating the complementary parts of the sealing strip in engaged positions; a

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, depicting the pouch open, i. e., with the elements of the seal displaced from one another intermediate their ends;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pouch shown in Figs. 1 and :2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numorals of which indicate similar parts throughout the several views, 5 designates generally a pouch or a sack fortobacco or the like formed of a single piece offabricwith the ends 6 sewed or otherwise secured together. The top of the sack is open, and to opposite edges of this opening the sealing elements of the present invention are secured by suitable means, as will be herein after described more in detail. The pouch may include an inner imperforate lining of oil skin or any other material, but as this forms no part of the present invention, it is not illustrated or described. It will be understood that the sack or pouch 5 is merely illustrative of any of a plurality of containers or receptacles, composed of any material well known in the art and varying widely in size and design, to which the seal of my invention is applicable. 1

The sealing means of my invention comprises two elongated elements I and 8, preferably composed of rubber or other resilient and compressible material. The element 1 is generally rectangular in cross-section, having a smooth back surface 9 adapted for attachment by an adhesive or other well-known means to the edge ID of one side of pouch 5 at the opening therein. The

3 upper and lower narrower surfaces II of the strip element I may also be smooth and, in the embodiment illustrated, perform no function.

The complementary sealing strip 8 adapted in operation to engage with strip I is also rectangular in cross-section but is more nearly flat, one surface I2zbeing securedato theeoppositmsi'de; I3: of pouchzSfiadjacent the opening so'that ttie.narrower edges I4 of strip 8 are substantially flush with the corresponding surfaces II of strip If The opposing surfaces I5 and- I6 of there.- spective strips I and 8, respectivelyia're adapted-i to firmly engage one another, being securedin such relative positions whencit istdesiredtliat tlies pouch be closed, in a mannerabou't 'tm be d'escribed. To this end, surface'* I5 of strip-'I is formed with a mortise groove: ll interrnediate the edges thereof, having a narrow neck I8 displaced inwardly slightly from the plane of the sealing surface I5. The outer edges of groove I I: diverge flOIIlEthEfIEdl-lGBd neck-1 I 8 as at I9= intovtheeplaneiof sealingisurfacewl 5, the corners being preferably; rounded as illustrated. in Fig 4? Groove Il isl enlarge-elf at its bottonnformingza'n' arcuate concavity 2B of a diameter greater than 5 the-:width' of: neck" Ii! ofthe groove: II so? as to: accommodate? and :retain therein? a tenon' I1 2I of corresponding:shape: Tenon 2'5 is-integrallya formed with themiddle' of: the opposing sealing:

surface- I6 -ofv the complementary strip: 8, andL' conforms" in cross se'ctional contour with: the i: shapeof groove: I 7 b-ut may be slightly larger: f or: a pmpose hereinafter described; With'thers'eal-'- ingestripszl and 81' secured to' thei'edgesio'flithe mouth-pf:the-openingzin pouch tenon' ll i ithus disposed directly opposite mortise groove IIi As the sealingaelements I and 8 "areflof aslength equal to'i'theklerigth of the open'ingin th'e pouch of which-ithey are Ia; part; the corresponding "ends '3 of the strips are maintained in operativeaengage-e merit: byithe converging: sides I of 1 the "container, isee, the ends ottenonzit aressecured'in' thei: corresponding; ends, respectively; oi the :mortise' groove II. Due to the flexibility of the materiali oftw'hich' pouch zfi'z and sealingassemblyfar'e composed, the intermediate reaches-s of the: sealing elementsmaynberseparated as in'dicatedrinrFigiz to permit access to the interior of the pouch When iitfiis" desiredato close'the pouch; the opening; thereof is constricted; pressure beingit applied zto 'the: opposite "edges 'oftthe' n'routhiat a number ofipoint's along-the length of: the sealing assembly; In this manerftenorr 2-I;IwhichT1is-:at1- alli'tim-esr-in transverse alignment withtgroovez E I r in: the complementary strip. I; is broughtdntos contaet:-vvith the latter strip and 1 centered with? groove"- I I =byi the diverg-ing :outer' edges- I Bro-Fathe groove;v Continued" pressure: compresses tenon zl andlcoincidentallyz expands th'erneck I 8 off groove! 1 to pBTm'itIthe tenonto completely enter into? operative: locking engagement therewithzz. Upon itS BreCeptiQri-in theconcavity 25] of i'm'ortisei groove lint/81101 1 2i expands to firmly engagevthm bottom: lot the: groove, and,'-. correspondingly; the? meals; I 81 0f the :groove is: permitted to'i COIIStI-i'Cti the; reduced shank z2 of-the-tenonr Thus; ans efiective seal is provided-not only; between-the" 4 mortis I1 and tenon 2|, but between the opposing sealing surfaces I5 and I6 of the respective strips I and 8, which are held firmly in engagement by reason of the association of the tenon in the mortise. The degree of pressure required to engage the sealing strips as well as the numbero'f points a'long thevleflg-th off theslatter at which pressure must be applied will vary 'with the siz and specific contour of the sealing strips, asmwell as with the resiliency of the material of whichhthe same and particularly the mortise and tenon elements thereof, are composed.

It will be understood that the assembly of the sealir i'g exp'edientswith the pouch as depicted in trie di'awin'gs ispnlyiillustrative of one feature of my invention; andthat any members, flexible or otherwise; equipped with the novel strips hereof may be eifectively joined in a like manner. It

is not essential that the ends of the sealing assembl be continuouslyengaged as hereinabove 1 Patentiisf" lmafsdeyicei'of i the charaeterldeseribed} mem ber havin ameIongatedimortise-groove therein formed: with: a5: restrictedtmoutl= in one' suriace': thereotiaizstrip having; al tehbn projectirig 1ater ally; from one 's rirface thereof proportionate in size and of a shape identical witl'f that of"the groove: and? of at length: corresponding-J tothat ofrsaid grooveesaid terron b'eing composcd' of=" resilient contracti-ble material and normal sli ghtly large-r3 than said mortise groove :so: as

REEERENCESJ CITED Th ef f o'l'lowing" 'referen'ces' are of record' in'" the nic of th'is patent:

UNiTED STATES PATENTS J' Numbei Name Datess-nses 1' 1,703,? 12 2 10 7316 2,115,424: 23582658: 291695489: 

